


LP HP: Second Dose - A Story in Twenty-Eight Snippets

by Tavalya_Ra



Series: Love Potion HP [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Mpreg, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-04-28
Updated: 2003-04-28
Packaged: 2017-11-13 04:10:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 15,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/499311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tavalya_Ra/pseuds/Tavalya_Ra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What was supposed to be only a little fun with potions goes awry, leaving Severus Snape and Sirius Black with some unintended consequences- and just in time for Voldermort's final assault on Hogwarts. (AU- this fic was written before the release of "Order of the Phoenix".)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Still Pink

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of my oldest fanfics and is no longer an accurate representation of my writing style. Rereading it years later, I found dozens of ways in which my writing has improved, yet I still enjoyed the story. I hope you will as well.
> 
> This fic was completed just before the release of "Order of the Phoenix" in 2003. Due to this, certain events and details- including characterization- are now in direct conflict with canon, making this story a retroactive AU.
> 
> This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J. K. Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Rowling is a goddess; may she have mercy on my soul for writing this.

            “Severus… maybe should we tell Pomfrey…”

            Severus slammed the beaker full of herbs on the stovetop and whirled around. “Tell her what, Sirius?” he demanded irately. Behind him, a cauldron containing a cloudy white liquid began to boil. “That we were erotically experimenting with potions and want to know why a particular one hasn’t worn off yet?”

            “I can deal with embarrassment if it means you’re safe and healthy!” Sirius insisted.

            Severus sneered. “I’m a Potions Master. I can take care of myself!” He turned his attention to the cauldron, using a ladle to spoon a dose of the mixture into a bowl. “Hand me that test tube of yellow stuff on the counter.”

            “Yellow stuff?” Sirius repeated as he retrieved the requested liquid. He had never heard Severus refer so imprecisely to an ingredient. “What is it?”

            “If you must know, it’s my urine.”

            “Eww!” Sirius exclaimed, almost dropping the test tube. “Severus, we _are_ in the kitchen.”

            Severus glared. “After all the unmentionable things we have stuck in unmentionable parts of each other, I should hardly think something as basic as excrement would disgust you.”

            “But in the kitchen!” he declared, handing the tube to him.

            The Potions Master ignored his comment and uncorked the test tube. He poured half of its contents into the bowl. Slowly, the potion changed from a mixture of white and yellow to bright pink. Severus’s face paled.

            Sirius glanced at him apprehensively. “What does pink mean?”

            “It means I brewed the potion incorrectly,” Severus replied. He sounded shaken.

            Sirius gave him a funny look. “Severus, you never-”

            “You’re distracting me! Get out!” he snapped.

            Sirius sighed and retreated to the living room without complaint. Life with Severus Snape could be trying and tumultuous- he never would have forced himself to endure it if he weren’t absolutely crazy about the man- and he had learned how to pick his battles. This, by far, was not one of them.

            _But what does pink mean? Is Severus going to be alright?_

            After half of an hour, Severus emerged from the kitchen.

            “Well?” Sirius asked anxiously.

            “Still pink,” Severus answered, then promptly fainted.


	2. Romanticizing the Situation

            Harry Potter, now in his seventh year at Hogwarts, once again found himself in Headmaster Dumbledore’s office for a reason wholly unrelated to academics, yet- surprisingly- one not directly concerning himself. He sat in conference around a mahogany table with the headmaster, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Severus Snape. Remus’s and Dumbledore’s faces were neutral; they did not know what to anticipate. Sirius, however, looked quite sheepish while Severus regarded the scene with his usual sneer.

            Dumbledore cleared his throat. “I am under the impression that you two wish to make an announcement?”

            Sirius nodded. “That’s correct.” He took a deep breath. “Severus and I are having-”

            “ _We_ are not having anything!” Severus immediately snapped. “ _I_ am the one thrust into this entirely undignified condition and I would appreciate it if you would stop romanticizing the situation!”

            With a huff, he crossed his arms and glared at Sirius.

            “And what condition might that be, Severus?” Dumbledore prodded gently.

            Severus bit his lip and darted his eyes to the tabletop.

            “I’m pregnant.”

            Harry adequately summed up everyone’s reaction by falling out of his chair.

            “ _What?_ ” the Potions Master barked at him.

            “Na- nothing,” Harry stuttered as he peeked his head over the tabletop. “But… aren’t you a man?”

            Severus’s stare quickly convinced Harry to duck back under the table.

            “For that to be possible, you’d have to be partially transfigured,” Remus remarked. “How did that happen?”

            “Yes, I would quite like to know that,” Dumbledore seconded.

            Sirius and Severus immediately turned away from each other, trying very hard- and failing miserably- not to turn bright red.

            Harry thought the headmaster would let the matter drop, but instead Dumbledore inquired suggestively, “Severus?”

            “We were experimenting,” he replied.

            “With what?”

            “I’m afraid it really was potions this time,” he confessed miserably and dropped his head into his hands, still blushing with furious embarrassment.

            Harry, Remus, and Dumbledore refocused their inquiring gazes upon Sirius.

            “What!” the Animagus exclaimed. “It wasn’t my idea!”

            Incisively, the headmaster stated, “I take it the true accident in this matter was not the transfiguration of Severus, but forgetting a contraceptive spell?”

            Severus’s raised his head and exclaimed, “Damn it, Albus, the warnings never said it would make me fertile!”

“You intend to keep the child?” Dumbledore asked.

            “Sirius wanted one anyway and I can’t in good conscience kill something just because I find it inconvenient,” Severus answered sourly.

            The latter part of that statement, Harry reflected, was probably the only reason Neville Longbottom was still alive.

            Dumbledore smiled at him. “A child is a treasure-”

            “With all due respect, Albus, I can’t stand Sirius spewing that idealistic crap and I don’t really want to hear it from you.”

            The Potions Master continued, “My… condition does present several problems. Firstly, I can no longer teach class. Several of the ingredients which the fifth, sixth, and seventh years use generate fumes that can cause birth defects. That fact presents us with a more serious issue. I will not be able to brew the Wolfsbane Potion.”

            Remus nodded. “I certainly don’t want you to do anything to jeopardize your baby. I can use the Shrieking Shack…”

            “…and I should be able to keep him in line, just as long as nobody goes through the Willow,” Sirius added.

            An odd, rather angry look crossed Severus’s face. Sirius flinched.

            “I’m certain we can find someone else to brew your potion temporarily,” Dumbledore assured Remus, then inquired of Sirius and Severus, “Have you considered how you will explain the child’s existence?”

            “What do you mean?” Severus asked.

            “Surely you realize that until Sirius’s name is cleared, it would be dangerous for both him and yourself to reveal that he is the father.”

            Sirius clasped Severus’s hand possessively. “No… I’m afraid we haven’t. What would you suggest, headmaster? A… a substitute?” Timidly, he glanced towards the werewolf and suggested, “Remus?”

            Remus and Severus regarded each other with pure shock.

            “Bloody hell,” Remus swore. “Well… if it’s _really_ necessary-”

            “NO,” Severus stated firmly.

            “Well, who else is there?” Sirius demanded, then quipped sarcastically, “Harry?”

            Harry’s stomach did a flip-flop and his face turned bright red.

            Severus snorted. “Sure- I purposely transfigured myself so I could bear the child of an underage student. And Albus hasn’t fired me _why_?”

            “Um… Imperius Curse?” Harry offered.

            “It wasn’t a serious suggestion!” he snapped.

            Dumbledore cleared his throat. “I was going to suggest artificial insemination.”

            After a pause, Sirius answered, “Oh. Well… that would work.”

            “What?” Severus gasped. “That… that implies I was so desperate to have a baby that I had to bear it myself! That’s pathetic!”

            “No offence to anyone here,” Remus ventured, “but I don’t think anybody is going to believe that.”

            “They do not have to believe it, Remus. The proof,” the headmaster countered with a significant glance towards Severus, “will be undeniable.”

            The Potions Master crossed his arms and fumed, “Great. I’m the sod nobody could love.”

            “Stop it. You know that’s not true,” Sirius insisted. “Now do I have to embarrass you horribly by snogging you in front of everyone present to prove it?”

            Severus sighed. “No.”

            Sirius kissed him anyway.


	3. Settled

            After Severus fainted, Sirius immediately ran into the kitchen, grabbed the nastiest looking jar of disemboweled something-he-did-not-even-want-to- _know­_ , sprinted back to the living room, and held it under the Potions Master’s sizeable nose. Severus awoke immediately.

            “You know, an _Enervate_ spell would have worked just as well!” he snapped as he sat up. With Sirius’s aid, he rose to his feet.

            “Are you alright?” Sirius asked.

            “No,” he groaned miserably. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in a worse condition in my entire life.”

            Panic shot through Sirius’s veins. “Oh my God. Severus, are you- you’re not-” His mouth went dry. What had gone wrong? Had the transgendering potion poisoned Severus?

            _If that’s what it is, I’ll never forgive myself. Never-_

            “Stop being dramatic!” Severus barked. “I’m not going to die or anything nearly so glamorous.”

            Sirius breathed a sigh of relief. “Severus- what am I supposed to think when you faint? What does pink mean?”

            “Sit down,” he ordered.

            “Severus-”

            “ _Sit!_ ” he snapped.

            Deciding it best not to argue, Sirius resumed his seat on the couch.

            Severus looked at him. He opened his mouth to speak, but then, took a deep breath instead. His eyes darted around the room for about a minute; they were focused on the mantle when he finally spoke.

            “Pink means I’m pregnant.”

            And with those words, the bottom fell out from under Sirius’s world.

            “Oh my God,” he said. He did not feel happy or sad or afraid, only completely shocked. “Severus-”

            “I need to be alone for awhile,” Severus whispered.

            With no further explanation, he turned and proceeded upstairs. Sirius heard the door to the bedroom open and softly click shut.

            Sirius did not move. He stared down at his hands. At the floor. Knowing that no matter what happened or did not happen now, everything had changed.

            _Severus is pregnant. We’re having a baby._

_We’re having a baby._

_I’m a father._

            Sirius wrapped his arms around himself as he felt warmth spread through his entire body.

            _I’m a father. We’re having a baby. I’m a father._

            He thought it would never happen. He had had such dreams for himself, dreams that had all been crushed by Azkaban. He was having a child with someone he loved, and it did not even matter that whom he loved was another man. It was happening anyway.

            Except…

            _Severus?_

            What did Severus want? From everything he knew about the Potions Master, he could not believe it was a baby. If Severus did not want to keep it, what choice did Sirius have in the matter?

            _I don’t know if I can live with that_ , he thought suddenly. _I love him, but if he wants an abortion…_

            About an hour later, Severus emerged.

Sirius stood up and began to speak, “Severus, look. If you… Whatever you want to do-”

He held up his hand. “Shush,” he replied softly. “Sirius…” He directed his eyes to the carpet. “Sirius, how _do_ you feel about children?”

Honestly, he answered, “I’ve always wanted one.” _Or two. Or three. Maybe four…_

            Severus nodded. “Alright. Then it’s settled.”

            “What’s settled?” Sirius requested.

            “This,” Severus gestured towards his stomach, “is settled.”

            “You mean the baby?” he asked hopefully. “We’re having a baby?”

            “Yes.”

            Sirius looked at Severus’s face. He saw no joy or even resolution there. His visage held anxiety mixed quite possibly with misery.

            “Sev?” he called.

            “Yes?” the Potions Master answered, refusing to look at him.

            “You want this baby, then?” he asked directly. “Yes?”

            “I said it’s settled, Sirius.”

            “That doesn’t answer my question-”

            “I _said_ ,” Severus snapped, then calmed his tone, “that it’s settled.”

            Whatever was wrong, he refused to voice it. Sirius felt his stomach twist into a knot. There was an issue here that would have to be faced eventually- faced very soon- but tonight was not the time to force it.


	4. Mental Images

            Steeling himself, Harry stepped into the Great Hall. Severus was not seated at the head table; he generally breakfasted in the cabin with Sirius. However, if the Potions Master had still lived in the castle, Harry had little doubt he would have made a point to lock himself in his room this morning, for Hogwarts was about to receive a most unusual notice. Once all the students were settled, Dumbledore tapped his spoon against his goblet, commanding their attention.

            “I have an announcement to make,” he said. “Until further notice, all formal Potions classes are canceled.”

            Three-fourths of the student body- none of which wore green- cheered. The remaining fourth glanced at each other anxiously. Even the faculty seemed a bit started; Harry surmised Dumbledore that had not informed them of the situation.

            The headmaster continued, “All students will have in-class reading assignments, which will be lead by myself until a substitute teacher has been found. Rest assured, there is no cause for alarm on behalf of Professor Snape. Our Potions Master is quite well. He is simply taking a maternity leave. Thank you.”

            And with that, breakfast apparated onto the table.

            Ron blinked. “I must have not heard right. Did Dumbledore say that Snape was on a maternity leave?”

            Harry nodded. “Yes, he did.”

            An odd look crossed Ron’s face. “Why would Snape be on a _maternity_ leave?”

            Suppressing a mischievous grin, Harry answered frankly, “Well, because he’s pregnant, Ron.”

            “Oh,” said Ron. “ _WHAT?!_ ”

            The entire table lapsed into a stunned silence. All eyes faceted themselves upon Harry and Ron.

            From over Ron’s shoulder, Seamus asked, “Snape is pregnant? How?”

            With a resigned sigh, Harry explained, “He brewed a potion that… uh… gave him… women parts…”

            “A uterus and ovaries,” Hermione specified for him. “And probably a va-”

            “Thank you, Hermione!” Ron declared, clamping his hand firmly over the Head Girl’s mouth. Turning to Seamus, he remarked, “I don’t see why you’re so interested. Just thinking of Snape being… being… Ugh.”

            Hermione zapped Ron’s hand away with her wand and declared, “I think it’s sweet.”

            “I think it’s sad,” Neville, who was sitting at Harry’s left, countered. “Nobody wants Snape or his baby.”

            “That’s not true!” Harry exclaimed adamantly. As the others regarded him with incredulous stares, he stuttered to explain, “Um… well… what I mean is… _Listen_ \- I’ve spent the past two summers with Snape and he’s… he’s not so bad.”

            “Not so bad!” Neville rejoined. “Harry, he _hated_ you!”

            “Well, he doesn’t anymore. And he…” Harry sighed. “I know more about Snape than the rest of you. The problem’s not that nobody wanted to be with him- it’s that _he_ doesn’t want to be with anybody. But… uh… he still wanted someone to, you know, carry on the Snape name, so he decided to do it himself.”

            For several moments, no one said anything.

            “Snape’s a freak,” Seamus concluded.

            Harry shrugged. “Well… maybe.”

            “Hey,” he said, “Snape has woman parts but does he still have… you know…”

            Harry blinked. “ _What_? How should I know?”

            “Well, you did _live_ with him.”

            “That doesn’t mean I know! He doesn’t exactly walk around the house naked!”

            “Would you people stop giving me mental images!” Ron shouted.

            Neville looked at him strangely. “You’re getting mental images?”

            “Gah!” he screamed.

            “Well, somebody’s not comfortable with their sexuality,” Hermione remarked.

            “’Mione that’s not funny.”


	5. Spiraling

            “Will any other transfigurations be necessary?” Sirius asked Pomfrey anxiously.

            “That depends,” the witch replied. “Will the Professor want to breast-feed the baby?”

            Sirius’s face was one of utter perplexity as his mind produced a most disturbing mental image. “Erhm… You’d have to ask him, but my guess is no.”

            “Then he should be all set,” she said.

            “Thank you.”

            “You might not want to thank me when you see the mood he’s in,” she remarked. “I’ll leave you to him. If you need anything, Floo me.”

            Sirius followed her into the living room, where she promptly retreated from the cabin. Severus was reclining on the sofa, his form completely obscured by a blanket pulled up to his chin.

            “Come on, let me see,” Sirius prodded.

            Sneering, Severus cast off the blanket and stood up. Sirius realized that the Potions Master would need new robes sooner than anticipated. His current ones did not quite fit now.

            The lines and angles of Severus’s figure, from the shoulders to the torso, were the same, but at the waist, he curved into hips. The effect was bizarre, but Sirius found it oddly attractive.

            “Don’t laugh,” he said. “Don’t you dare laugh, or I’ll-”

            “Why would I laugh?” Sirius asked. “Hey, smile.”

            He scowled in reply.

            “You know this is necessary,” Sirius reminded gently. “Your hips were too narrow to support a baby.”

            Severus ignored the comment completely. “I’m going to make dinner.”

            Sirius stopped him by placing his hand lightly against his chest. “Pomfrey said you need rest. Let me take care of it. In fact, I should probably take over cooking duties from now on.”

            “What? Why?”

            “So I can learn my way around your kitchen,” he replied logically. “A few months from now, you’re _not_ going to want to be on your feet. Actually, I want to talk to Albus about moving into the castle.”

            “What’s wrong with the cabin?” Severus insisted.

            “It’s too far from the Infirmary. What if something happened to you? What if an emergency came up?”

            “This didn’t bother you before.”

            “We weren’t having a baby before,” he replied, then continued firmly, “No, tomorrow, I’ll ask Albus-”

            “Stop it!” Severus suddenly snapped in frustration. He clutched at his hair. “Just stop it! My life is already spiraling out of control! My body’s not my own and now you won’t even let me cook! Just leave me alone!”

            He dashed past Sirius and fled up the stairs.


	6. A Matter of Want

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Opinions of the characters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the author.

            Sirius had lost his appetite, but he prepared dinner anyway. Two hours later, when Severus did not appear, he cleared the dishes and charmed the uneaten food against spoilage.

            Returning to the living room, he raised his wand and muttered, “ _Gossmere!_ ” conjuring his night robes around his body. Another long night alone on the sofa.

            _No_ , he suddenly thought. _No, I don’t want to let this one slide._

            He padded upstairs and sneaked into the bedchamber. Severus was sleeping on his side with his face to the wall. Sirius slipped under the covers and wrapped his arm around his waist. It rested perfectly in the newly formed curve of Severus’s figure.

            “What do you want?” Severus mumbled sourly in the dark.

            “To hold you.”

            “You’re sappy.”

            Sirius snuggled against him. “I love you.”

            Severus snorted. Sirius kissed the back of his neck and felt him relax into his embrace.

            “I didn’t meant to upset you, Severus. But you have to understand, this isn’t just your life or my life anymore. It’s _our_ life. I only want what’s best for us. What if something happened with the baby and you needed to go to the Infirmary? How are you going to get there? You can’t Apparate and I can’t take you there in Animagus form.”

            Sirius continued, “We don’t exactly have a normal situation here- and I don’t mean because you’re pregnant. Wanted Azkaban escapee? Ex-Death Eater spy? Our circumstances are hardly ideal. And, hey, living in the castle won’t exactly be peachy for me. I’ll have to be a dog most of the time or stay trapped in your bedroom.”

            “Sirius Black trapped in my bedroom,” Severus muttered. “Oh dear. Whatever will I do with him.”

            “Please, no handcuffs.”

            Severus did not laugh. He stayed silent for a moment, then asked, “You really want us to move into the castle?”

            “Yes.”

            He sighed. “Fine. Fine, but not yet. I’m only two months pregnant, Sirius. I’m hardly ready to pop.”

            The room stole into silence and a troubling thought crept into Sirius’s mind. After a few minutes, he decided to voice it.

            “Severus, I get the impression that you don’t want this baby.”

            “It’s not a matter of want,” the other man grumbled. Sirius felt him tense.

            “Severus-”

            “I don’t want to talk about it!” he snapped in agitation. “I do _not_ want to talk about it. I’ve made my choice and I don’t care if you understand or not!”

            An irrational, indefinable fear overtook Sirius. He clutched Severus tighter. The other man was quivering.

 

* * *

 

            Severus did not want this child. The last thing on earth he wanted was this child. Into what sort of life could it possibly be born? Only one of misery.

            But his conscience would not allow him any alternative. His past, he knew, would always haunt him; even if Voldemort were to die, he would never escape it. Once, he had murdered and laughed in exaltation at the kill. The man he had been and the man he was now were two very different people, but both were still himself, Severus Snape.

            He had crawled on his knees to the Light. Only by the mercy of Albus Dumbledore had he received it.

            He told himself his attitude was irrational. That an abortion was hardly the same as an _Avada Kedavra_. But he could not convince himself. If he killed this baby, his own baby, it would only prove he was still- inside- a monster.


	7. Just a Lump

            “‘Severus G. Snape,’” Sirius read aloud from the top Pomfrey’s medical report. “What does the ‘G’ stand for? Gorgeous?”

            “None of your damn business!” Severus snapped.

            Sirius winced. “Okay. Grouchy,” he muttered.

            Severus’s mood had taken a predictably sour turn as his pregnancy had progressed. While he had yet to switch to maternity robes, his abdomen had begun to round and he was not at all happy with the development.

            “According to Pomfrey, everything’s normal. Not that I conceive how anything about this situation could possibly be classified as normal,” Severus huffed.

            “Mmm…” Sirius agreed, flipping the page.

            His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as he realized what was on the last piece of parchment. Somehow, Pomfrey had used a special charm to transfer a gray scale image onto the page. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to take Sirius’s breath away.

            “Oh my God,” he whispered. “Is that…?”

            “Oh yes,” Severus remarked dryly. “I thought you might want to see that.”

            “It’s our baby.”

            Behind him, he heard Severus snort. “Please. Right now it’s just a lump.”

            Sirius whirled around, exclaiming, “How can you say that! It’s growing inside you!”

            Severus was not looking at him. His arms were folded, his eyes were directed to the floor, and his face was completely passive. A bit too passive, Sirius thought.

            “Sev?” he asked. “Are you alright?”

            “Oh, I’m fine,” he said a bit haughtily. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

            “Is there something you want to talk about?”

            He looked up and glared. “I’m _sorry_ if I’m not as enthusiastic about this as you. This hasn’t exactly been a fun experience for me and it’s not going to get any better. The transfiguration was painful, morning sickness was a bitch, and now I need to pee incessantly. I can’t _wait_ to start waddling!”

            Sirius sighed. “All of that is temporary, Severus. Look, _I’d_ offer to carry the baby if it was possible-”

            “You?” he snorted. “I don’t trust you to fry an egg. You really think I’d let _you_ carry a baby?”

            Sirius growled in exasperation. “I don’t understand you at all sometimes!”

            “I’m hungry. I’m going into the kitchen,” was all Severus said. He began to walk away.

            “You’re not going to eat potion ingredients again, are you?” Sirius called after him.

            “Can I help it if I have odd cravings?”

            “Odd?” Sirius repeated. “I think newt eyeballs with toad’s blood and chocolate sauce goes a bit beyond ‘odd.’ Is it even safe?”

            “Give me some credit for being a Potions Master!” Severus snapped over his shoulder as he stood in the doorframe to the kitchen. “I know what combinations to avoid so I don’t brew a potion in my stomach!”

            As Severus ducked into the kitchen, Sirius decided to stay in the living room. He did _not_ want to watch.


	8. Chimera

            Severus realized, to his discomfort and dismay, that he was teetering on the edge of requiring maternity robes. He had managed to stuff himself into his regular robe this morning, but the waist of the garment was painfully tight. His stomach, while nowhere near the full girth it would inevitably attain, was gaining prominence, and he felt strangely encumbered as he ascended the stairs to Dumbledore’s office.

            With deliberate care, Severus settled himself into a chair by the headmaster’s desk. Dumbledore looked at him with twinkling eyes.

            “How do you feel, Severus?”

            The Potions Master answered dourly, “Fat.”

            Dumbledore just smiled at him. “You are prepared to move into the castle tomorrow?”

            “Yes. Thank you. You did not have to give me the chamber in the South Tower-”

            “The South Tower is isolated and has room for both you and Sirius. It is also very close to both Pomfrey and Remus. It was an ideal choice.”

            Severus nodded. “How are negotiations with the Ministry?”

            “Minister Fudge is none too pleased that I refuse to disclose Sirius’s location, as you can imagine,” Dumbledore replied with deceptive cheer. “However, they have agreed to a trial in two months’ time.”

            “Thank you.”

            “Severus,” the headmaster asked suddenly, “when did you last have contact with your mother?”

            “What?” Severus placed his hand over the swell of his stomach, uncertain if the fluttering inside was the baby or butterflies. Stiffly, he replied, “I haven’t spoken to Chimera in almost twenty years nor do I intend to do so ever again.”

            “You don’t think she should know of the imminent birth of her grandchild?” he questioned.

            “It is not imminent,” Severus snapped. “And no I don’t. Considering our parting words, my child can hardly be considered any relation to her.”

            Dumbledore sighed. “I’m afraid you will not be pleased then.”

            Severus gripped the armrests of the chair. “What did you do? You did not-”

            “I have been in contact with Chimera for sometime. She is very active in the Order of the Phoenix,” the headmaster said. “She recently inquired about you. I owled her yesterday that you are expecting a child.”

            If Severus had faced any other man at that moment, he might have exploded in fury. Only one time had the headmaster’s presence failed to diffuse his anger and this, certainly, was not that moment. He slumped in his seat and growled in exasperation, “Albus, I can’t believe this! How could you-”

            “This is the first time Chimera has ever asked after your well-being, Severus. She may wish to reconcile-”

            “I want nothing to do with that woman!” Severus declared fiercely.

            “But you must admit that you have inherited her obstinacy,” Dumbledore remarked incisively.

            Severus fumed and said nothing.


	9. For the Love of Circe

            Severus finally conceded defeat in the losing battle with his body. He was pregnant to the point that it was impossible to conceal and his walk had become a waddle. As if the outward symptoms of his condition weren’t enough, the baby announced its presence frequently with a jab to the stomach.

            “Well, at least I’m healthy,” he declared sourly as Remus lead him from the Infirmary, a large black dog trotting beside them.

            “By Merlin!” exclaimed a voice that was utterly appalled.

            A tall, thin woman with black eyes and graying hair stalked down the hall towards Severus. Her face was sharp and her nose straight and small. She wore a crimson dress that did little to flatter the sallow tone of her skin.

            Eyes flashing at Severus, the woman declared, “When Headmaster Dumbledore said you were expecting a child, I though you had straightened yourself out and stopped dallying with men. But _this!_ What have you done to yourself!”

            Severus defensively rested his right hand on the bulge of his belly and sneered. “It should be obvious what I have ‘done’ to myself. The question is, what are _you_ doing here, Mother?”

            “I came to meet your wife!” Chimera Snape snapped. “Not witness my son’s one-man freak show! Knowing you, you brewed the potion that did this to you yourself, didn’t you? For the love of Circe, since when have _men_ had babies?”

            She turned to Remus. She studied him intently for a few moments, then narrowed her eyes and announced accusingly, “I remember you. You almost killed Severus.”

            Padfoot whimpered.

            “I advise you not to cause a scene,” Severus warned.

            Chimera ignored him. “If you’re the father of my son’s… _thing_ …”

            “I assure you, madam, I am _not_!” Remus exclaimed heartily.

            Furious, Severus shouted in exasperation. “He’s not the father of my child- a test tube is!  What would ever possess you to think that I would sleep with _him_!”

            “Considering what’s on your arm, I can’t be too sure of your standards,” she spat.

            Severus clenched his fists and his teeth. His temper was on the verge of exploding and Chimera’s only source of amnesty was that at that moment, Harry Potter- followed by the other two members of the terrible trio, Granger and Weasley- entered the corridor. Chimera’s eyes espied the boy’s scar and lit up.

            “Harry Potter!” she exclaimed, rushing forward. “Come give your grandmother a hug!”

            “Wha-” Harry began, as Chimera crushed the boy against her chest.

            “He is not your grandson!” Severus snapped.

            “Well, you did _adopt_ him, didn’t you?” she retorted. “And that’s probably the one good thing you’ve done so far with your life!”

            Harry, his mouth partially opened in an effort not to gag under Chimera’s choke hold, glanced at Severus with eyes that clearly pleaded, “Help me.”

            When Chimera finally released him, Harry took a deep breath and blinked. “Um… hello, Mrs.… Snape?”

            Chimera sighed. “Oh, of course, you don’t know who I am! Yes, I’m Chimera Snape, Severus’s mother.”

            “Unfortunately,” the Potions Master added.

            Chimera shot him a quick glare. “Don’t be impudent!” She turned back to Harry. “Can you believe any child of mine would be a Slytherin?”

            “You’re… you’re not a Slytherin?” the boy inquired nervously.

            She laughed. “Merlin, no! I’m a Gryffindor!”

            As Remus and the trio’s four jaws all dropped, Severus hid his face in his hands.

            _God, if you have any mercy, just kill me now._

            “Yes,” his mother agreed, “you wouldn’t know that from _him_.”

            Rejoining, Severus growled, “There is nothing wrong with Slytherin House.”

            Chimera sniffed. “Yes, you’re living proof of that,” she sneered.

            “Mother…” he warned.

            “Thank goodness your father talked me out of what I originally wanted to name you!” she exclaimed. “It would have been an embarrassment! It’s bad enough it’s your middle name, Severus Godric Snape!”

            The only possible mercy Severus could conceive of at that moment was an instantaneous death.

            Weasley covered his mouth and nose with his hands in a poor attempt to stifle a loud snort of laughter that prompted Granger to exclaim, “Ron!”

            “I haven’t been to Hogwarts in years,” Chimera said to Harry. “If your Head of House wouldn’t mind, I would love to see my old common room.”

            Take her, Severus mouthed desperately to Harry.

            “I don’t see why not,” the Boy-Who-Lived replied timidly, clearly intimidated by Chimera. “Um… this way…”

            Chimera followed the trio from the hall. Once Severus was certain they were out of earshot, he opened his mouth and screamed.

            “You middle name is _Godric?_ ” Remus asked incredulously.

            “Shut up!” Severus shouted. “Just shut UP!”

            Managing the best stalk he could under the circumstances, he stomped his way to the South Tower, Padfoot barking at his heels.


	10. Being Here

            “Godric?” Sirius gasped between fits of laughter. “Your middle name is _Godric_? As in Godric _Gryffindor_?”

            “Sirius, shut up!” Severus snapped irately, flopping onto the bed.

            “But _Godric_!” he sputtered, still chortling.

            Severus snatched up a pillow and smacked him, then threw the cushion on the floor and curled up into a despondent ball.

            “Just leave me alone.”

            Sirius inhaled deeply to calm himself and lowered his eyes. “I’m sorry. I understand why that would be touchy for you… I can’t believe her comment about the Mark. That was really horrible of her.”

            He laid down beside Severus and wrapped his arm around him.

            “She never liked me from the start,” Severus said. “She wanted a girl. And she was upset that I inherited my father’s nose.”

            “I like your nose,” he said, tapping the tip of it affectionately.

            “Most of mother’s family are Gryffindors. My father’s relatives are Ravenclaws. When I was Sorted into Slytherin…” He shook his head. “Understand, I love my House, Sirius, but I’m surprised she didn’t send a Howler.”

            By now, Severus had uncurled, allowing Sirius to draw him close.

            “She thought that Potions was a fluffy course, my career choice absurd… and when I made the mistake of telling her I was homosexual…” he shuddered. “Her reaction wasn’t pretty. She made it _painfully_ clear that I was neglecting my filial duties by denying her grandchildren- but after that display in the hall, I see that grandchildren only count if I _father_ them,” he fumed.

            “But that’s not what caused the rift between you,” Sirius prodded.

            Severus was quiet for a moment. “I never told her I was a Death Eater, Sirius. But I often warned her not to go certain places if I knew there would be an attack. She pieced the truth together herself. She disowned me. She told me very clearly that if I ever contacted her again, she would turned me over to the Ministry of Magic.” His voice suddenly cracked. “I don’t blame her for that. I’m more disgusted with myself than I can begin to tell you for that time in my life. I can’t blame her, especially considering my father…”

            “What about your father?”

            “He was an Auror,” Severus explained.

            “‘Was’?” Sirius repeated.

            “He was murdered when I was fourteen.”

            “It… He wasn’t killed in connection to Voldemort, was he?” asked Sirius.

            “No.” Severus hesitated a moment before answering, “His throat was ripped out by a werewolf.”

            Sirius went rigid. He suddenly felt sick.

            “Oh my God,” he uttered. “Oh my God. Severus… I… Oh my God, and I pulled that stupid prank…”

            Severus’s body tensed and he seemed to shy away from Sirius’s hold.

            “I don’t want to talk about the Shrieking Shack. It’s over and done and I do _not_ want to talk about it.”

            “No wonder you hated me.”

            “I hated you before then.”

            Sirius tried to tighten his embrace, but Severus resisted.

            “But you don’t hate me now?” he questioned, suddenly feeling insecure.

            “How can you ask something like that?” Severus demanded sharply. “If I hated you, would I tell you any of this? Would I be carrying your baby? Would there have even been an _opportunity_ for you to impregnate me? Because I certainly wouldn’t have brewed a potion like that just for your entertainment!”

            Some of his frustration was spent in the last retort. He relaxed, allowing Sirius to snuggle him closer.

            “I love you,” Sirius said, stroking Severus’s hair- which was much less greasy thanks to his lack of exposure to potion fumes. He enjoyed the intimacy of Severus’s pregnant belly pressed against him.

            “Thank you, Sirius,” Severus murmured, resting his cheek on the Animagus’s shoulder.

            “For what?” Sirius asked.

            “I don’t know. Being here.”


	11. Misery Can Have Some Company

            For two weeks, Chimera haunted the castle. Severus had no idea what function she performed in the Order of the Phoenix, for she never told him. She never had anything to say but the most cutting remark she could form on the tip of her acid-laced tongue…

            “Merlin!” Sirius had exclaimed. “She’s exactly like you!”

            Their new chambers lacking a sofa, that remark had earned Sirius a night on the rug.

            Severus knew exactly what his mother thought of him. He had thrown away his life, his career was joke, he had no right to bring a child into the world under his circumstances, he would raise an antisocial miscreant - and by Circe, why was that _dog_ following him everywhere?

            “Would you _listen_ to me!” Chimera growled, stalking him up the stairs to the South Tower. “I am trying to help you. I am trying to get you to seriously _think_ about this mess you’ve placed yourself in! How _are_ you going to support this child? With your teaching? Who’s going to take care of the baby while you are in class? You can’t afford a nanny, and if you think you can burden Harry with your problems…”

            Severus stepped onto the landing with the window seat. He was almost at his bedchamber and he had no qualms about slamming the door shut in Chimera’s face.

            Padfoot yipped at Chimera in protest.

            “You’re not listening to me!” she snapped. “Why do I bother pitying you?”

            At that remark, Severus- who had been uncharacteristically passive until now- whirled around.

            “Pity?” he spat. “Why on earth should you pity me!”

            “Just look at you!” she exclaimed. “You’ve forced your life and your career into a dead end and _this_ is how you’re coping with yourself?”

            “What are you talking about?” he demanded.

            Padfoot circled Severus’s legs and growled.

            “Oh shush!” Chimera snapped at the dog. “Stupid animal- you don’t have the brains to know what’s going on.” She turned back to Severus. “I have to wonder why you’re having this baby. You’ve never been the parenting type.”

            “People change,” Severus retorted with a sneer.

            “They don’t change that much!” his mother declared. “All a child ever wants is a parent’s love and affection. I have to wonder if you’re having this baby as a substitute for what you _don’t_ have. How utterly- how completely- selfish that is! You’re creating a life just to ruin it so that your misery can have some company!”

            Severus clenched his fists. He could feel his anger boiling inside him- his baby could feel it and it kicked in protest. He would not scream at her. If Chimera was any other person he would not have cared, but she was his mother. He would make it a point of pride not to lose his temper- not to prove her absolutely right.

            As she continued her tirade, Severus set himself on the window seat. He gritted his teeth and crossed his arms, his face turned away from his mother in obstinacy. She was gathering steam and her words were flying fiercely off her tongue, but he did not bother to listen. He closed his eyes and reached out his hand to touch Padfoot’s head for reassurance.

            He could not find the dog. His heart froze, a wild thought flashing through his mind. Before he could dismiss it, he heard Chimera scream.

_No!_

            Severus opened his eyes and sprung to his feet.

            Sirius stood with his fists clenched at his sides and a fury lighting his eyes. He was angry, but Severus knew he had utterly no intention of harming Chimera. His mother, however, was painfully ignorant of this fact. She had sprung back and her wand was aimed directly between Sirius’s eyes.

            “Don’t you dare come near me!” she shouted in both warning and alarm. “I know who you are and I won’t hesitate to blast you!”

            “Mother, he’s innocent!” Severus cried. “You work for the Order- you know he’s awaiting trial!”

            “I’ll believe the verdict when the Ministry delivers it!” she declared.

            “Stop it!” Sirius suddenly screamed. Then- with less volume but the same force- he demanded, “Stop it both of you! I’m sick of this!” He turned to Chimera. “I’m sick of listening to you rant at Severus about something of which you know nothing! I _love_ him! I love him more than I can possibly explain! He is not alone, his life is not a waste, and I am going to do everything in my power for our child!”

            “Oh my God,” Chimera had lowered her wand. Her mouth was agape. “Oh my God, Severus, a _criminal?_ Sirius _Black?_ You are that _desperate?_ You don’t regret anything you’ve done, do you? Not a single thing, not even-”

            Severus lost it. “SHUT UP!” he screamed. “What do you want from me? A confession? Alright, then have it! I’m disgusted with myself for being a Death Eater and I have to live with what I did _every day of my life!_ But what do you want of me? Do you expect me to hate myself forever? I am _not_ the same person and I do not _want_ the same things I did when I was twenty! I made a mistake- Does that mean I have to be miserable forever? I am _happy_ to teach at Hogwarts and I am _happy_ that I am having this baby!”

            Chimera narrowed her eyes. Her lips twitched into a sneer. “Oh, I see,” she said softly, stiffly. “I see I’m not needed here!”

            She turned so fast her robes snapped as they swished and descended the stairwell in a menacing stalk.


	12. Finally Noticed

            Severus felt exhausted and Sirius’s arms provided a convenient place to collapse.

            “Merlin, I hate her!” he whispered fiercely, his head against Sirius’s shoulder. “But she meant what she said. She’ll leave us alone now.”

            Sirius wrapped his arms around him and began to rub soothing circles on his back.

            “Did you mean it?” the Animagus asked.

            “Mean what?”

            “What you said about the baby. That you’re happy about it.”

            “Oh, what did you expect me to say?” he grumbled. “That I-”

            He suddenly stopped and blinked in absolute shock.

            “Oh good God,” he uttered. “I think I am. I think I really am. I wasn’t before. I… am. I am happy.”

            He broke Sirius’s hold and shifted his weight to his feet, standing upright so that he could look directly into the Animagus’s eyes.

            “I’ve lost my mind,” he stated quite clearly. “I actually want this baby.”

            Sirius laughed.

            “I’m having a baby,” Severus said.

            “So, you finally noticed?” Sirius quipped.

            “I’m having _your_ baby,” he emphasized.

            “I should hope so.”

            Severus glared at him. “Why are you baiting me?”

            “Because you’re a slimy, Slytherin git and I adore you.”

            “I’m having your baby,” he repeated stupidly, an odd- and very uncharacteristic- smile spreading across his face.

            Sirius smiled back. “I thought you didn’t want to romanticize the situation.”

            Severus literally burst into tears.

            “Oh bloody hell, I’m an idiot!” Sirius cursed himself, quickly taking Severus into his arms, careful not to crush the pregnant man’s stomach. “Severus, Severus, I didn’t mean- Merlin, I was only teasing- I’m sorry. I’m an idiot. I’m sorry-”

            “Goddamn hormones!” Severus cursed. “I don’t even know why I’m crying!”

            “I’m sorry, I’m sorry-”

            “Sirius, shut up. You didn’t do anything and you’re annoying when you’re apologetic.”

            Sirius drew away from him slightly. He lifted his hand to Severus’s face and gently touched each tear dotting his cheeks, wiping them away.

            “I love you.”

            “You’re just saying that because you knocked me up,” Severus scoffed, but they both knew he wasn’t serious.

            “I love you.”

            “You’re mushy.”

            Sirius smiled. “I still love you.”

            Severus sighed. “I love you, too.”


	13. Come Back

            Severus stood with Sirius by the main entrance to Hogwarts, the closed doors temporarily shielding them from the uncertain future beyond. Sirius wore plain gray robes. His face was somber, he but smiled as he kissed Severus and touched his belly. The baby shifted slightly.

            “I love you,” Severus said.

            Sirius’s expression became grave. “You never say that unless something big has happened- or you’re worried that something horrible is about to occur.”

            “I’m worried you won’t come back,” Severus confessed. “I don’t trust the Ministry. I should go with you.”

            “ _No_ ,” Sirius ordered firmly. “There will be dementors near the courtroom. Your testimony- as well as Harry’s- was already taken because it isn’t safe for pregnant people or children to be near those creatures. Dumbledore and Remus will be with me. I’ll be fine.”

            From further down the corridor, the two witnesses in question approached. The headmaster tapped Sirius’s shoulder.

            “It’s time,” he said.

            Sirius nodded and kissed Severus again.

            “I’ll see you soon.”

            “If you don’t come back, I’ll kill you,” Severus warned.

            Sirius smiled wanly. Dumbledore pushed open the doors and the Animagus and his companions left. After the door had shut with a resounding boom, Severus scampered towards it and reopened it a crack to peer outside. He saw a horseless stagecoach and part of a violet robe and lime green bowler hat.

            “I’ll be frank, Albus. I don’t like the way you’ve handled this,” Fudge said. “I don’t trust your motives.”

            Something rustled out of the stagecoach. Fudge shifted, bringing Sirius into view. The man’s eyes had become empty, deadened, and his face pale and ghost-like.

            Severus suddenly felt an overwhelming misery seize his heart in an icy grip. His stomach lurched and depression settled over him in a thick, impenetrable blanket.

            Fudge continued, “If Black is found guilty, the Ministry has authorized him to receive the Kiss immediately following judgement.”

            The Minister had brought the court’s dementor with him. If the jury failed to declare Sirius innocent, he had no hope of escape.


	14. Of Course

            Severus was sick with worry. The baby was agitated by his anxiety and turned fitfully in his womb. He spent the day attempting to absorb himself in potions manuals and quell his child by speaking to it soothingly- there was no one in the room to think him crazy for talking to his stomach- but succeeded at neither.

            Harry visited him after his classes. The boy chatted avidly about schoolwork and asked homework questions, but Severus recognized his cheer as an attempt to take their minds away from the fears they both harbored.

            Harry left at eight. Severus waited until ten for Sirius’s return, then retired to bed. He spent a restless night ruing the fact that his pregnancy prevented him from imbibing a sleeping draught.

            The next morning the baby still had not settled. Severus paced the room and read the same page of _Two Hundred Three Non-Fatal Poisons_ ten times. By noon, he had worked himself into such a state that he could no longer stand the color of the carpet. He left his chamber and- for the first time in months- joined the school population in the Great Hall for lunch.

            Chimera was sitting at the head table. He refused to meet her eye and she pointedly ignored him. Everyone glanced anxiously at Dumbledore’s empty chair. Severus took a place between McGonagall and Hooch. When the food apparated, he stabbed despondently at his plate, then set down his fork and commenced a staring match with his peas.

            “Severus?” McGonagall placed a hand on his shoulder. “Are you alright?”

            “I-” Severus began. His voice cracked and he bowed his head. “No, Minerva, I am not!”

            He would not break down- not here, in front of everyone…

            Footsteps rushed across the threshold of the Great Hall. Severus glanced up. A man stood wearing a white robe, the traditional garment the Ministry gave to the pardoned…

            Severus stood up. He was so overcome that he did not know what to feel.

            “Sirius!” Harry shouted. From the Gryffindor table, he sprung out of his seat and rushed to embrace his godfather.

            The rest of the students had little clue as to what was going on, but the jubilance of the Boy-Who-Lived was enough to rally them to their feet, cheering.

            Severus slowly circled the head table. Sirius hugged Harry tightly, then approached the Potions Master. He looked at Severus with joy dancing in his eyes, then- without word or warning- kissed him fiercely.

            The students roared in amused delight at the startling new development in the Head of Slytherin’s love life. Severus did not hear them or their whistles of approval, only Sirius’s voice suddenly whispering in his ear.

            “Marry me.”

            “What?”

            “Marry me,” Sirius repeated. “I promised myself I would ask you on the day I was freed. Marry me.”

            Severus pulled away to stare into the depths of Sirius’s eyes. “I-” he began. He shook his head and then said firmly, “Yes. Did you honestly think I would say no? Yes. Of course, yes.”

            Sirius kissed him again and all of Hogwarts howled with wild glee.


	15. An Abnormally Large Melon

            “Everyone is staring at me,” Severus groused as he navigated the crowd in Diagon Alley.

            “Well, you are a pregnant _man_ ,” Remus reminded. “And you are standing next to the one person who’s had his face printed all over the papers last week.”

            The day after Sirius’s official pardon, newspapers and magazines had begun clamoring for interviews. The Animagus was selective in accepting offers. While he spoke quite candidly about the events leading to his imprisonment, he did not reveal how he had escaped Azkaban nor what had occurred afterward and he refused to make any statements about his personal life other than that he was “very happy.” Still, Sirius was hardly covert in his displays of affection. Severus had been far from ecstatic to find a photograph of his eight-months-pregnant self- belly and all- gracing the front page of _The Daily Prophet_.

            Sirius put his arm around Severus and squeezed him slightly. “Come on, love, let’s get lunch.”

            Dragging Harry away from the window display of Quality Quidditch Supplies (“As if he could find a broom better than his Firebolt!” Severus sniffed.), the quartet headed back towards the Leaky Cauldron. Sirius insisted upon referring to their group as the “new Marauders,” much to the annoyance of Severus, who had never warmed to the nickname “Venomtongue.” The Animagus and Remus had spent part of the morning trying to create a name for the baby and had quickly decided that both “Padtongue” and “Venomfoot” sounded incredibly stupid.

            They had already purchased several packages, most of which had been owled ahead to Hogwarts. Their first item of the day had been to select wedding bands. Afterwards, they had gone baby shopping, first for a cradle and toys, including a large stuffed dog. (“Aw,” Severus quipped. “Looks just like Daddy.”) Next came clothes. Severus had originally intended to leave his child’s gender a surprise for the delivery room, but had cracked under the suspense and asked Pomfrey. She had informed him that he was carrying a girl. Eschewing pastels, the Potions Master had selected several tiny dresses in violet, black, blue, magenta, and green.

            “Naturally, she’ll be a Slytherin,” Severus said confidently.

            “How can you be sure?” Sirius asked. “Your family is all Gryffindors and Ravenclaws.”

            That comment earned Sirius a whack over the head with the stuffed dog.

            They ate a tasty lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, then went to Fortescue’s for desert. Sirius confiscated the vial of bat blood Severus had smuggled to pour over his sundae. Severus tried to retaliate with the dog again, but Remus took the bag away from him first. After dessert, they headed to Gringotts’ so Sirius and Severus could combine their accounts.

            “It will be under the name Black-Snape,” Sirius told them. “That’s what we’re going to take at our wedding.”

            “Black-Snape?” Remus repeated. “Severus, you’re really putting Sirius’s name first?”

            “I decided I should do my child a favor and allow her to move up the alphabet,” Severus replied.

            Harry’s brow furrowed. “But won’t that make her initials ‘BS’?”

            Severus gave Harry a very long, dark, penetrating stare.

            They approached the doors at the same moment a family of three stepped outside: the Malfoys. Lucius’s lips began to curl unpleasantly and he stiffened at the sight of Severus. Narcissa coiled her arm around that of her husband. Draco stepped forward with a contemptuous sneer. His intent was clearly to stare down Harry and he failed completely. The Gryffindor surpassed his challenge; he was two inches taller than Draco and took advantage of his height to examine the heir of Malfoy from the tip of his nose.

            “Severus!” Lucius exclaimed with a bitter and disdainful smile. “Well, don’t you look as if you’ve swallowed an abnormally large melon.”

            “My melon, Lucius,” Sirius warned, placing his arms protectively around Severus. “And I will hold nothing back to protect it.”

            “I’d expect nothing less from you,” Lucius answered curtly. “Enjoy yourselves. You may not have much longer to do so.”

            He began to side step around Remus when Severus said, “A word, Lucius. I have a message for your Lord.”

            Lucius’s pale eyes narrowed. “You’re bold to speak so in public. What is it?”

            With a malicious smirk, the Potions Master said, “Tell him ‘thank you’.”

            Everyone knew immediately that he was referring to the Aphrodilus.

            Lucius’s steely eyes went cold. “Perhaps you’ll be able to tell him yourself!”

            With a contemptuous sniff, he threw back his cloak and strutted away. Narcissa followed, but Draco lingered behind to smile nastily at Harry before departing.

            Severus shuddered and pressed his hand against his forehead.

            “Are you alright?” Sirius asked.

            “It’s not over,” he said. “Just because you’re free doesn’t mean our problems are over. I’m… I’m sorry to cut this short, but after Gringotts, can we go back to Hogwarts? I really think we should tell Dumbledore about this.”


	16. Rest Assured

            Sirius related the encounter with Lucius to Dumbledore faithfully; he left out no details as he had in March of 1996, when he had met the Malfoys in the Forbidden Forest. Dumbledore acknowledged the information with a nod, then asked, “Have you decided upon a date for your wedding?”

            Sirius was startled by the question, which had come from nowhere. “Not exactly. We plan to have it several months after the birth. Severus wants to be male again and lose the baby weight first.”

            At the mention of the extra pounds, Severus gave his fiancé a sharp glare.

            “It might not be a good idea to wait so long,” Dumbledore advised. “In fact, I think you should marry as soon as possible.”

            “ _What?_ ” Severus asked flatly. “Excuse me? Marry _now_? Look at me, Albus! I’m due in almost a month! You expect me to walk down the aisle like _this_?”

            Sirius conceded that he had a point. Severus looked as if he couldn’t _get_ much bigger than he already was.

            “Severus-” the headmaster began patiently.

            “I want to get married on my own terms, not in a maternity gown with a stomach the size of a beach ball!”

            “I think you’d look beautiful like that,” Sirius whispered quietly.

            Severus stared at him as if he had grown a third head. “What?”

            “You’re going to be a mother. I can’t think of anything more beautiful.”

            “Oh, for Merlin’s sake!” he exclaimed. “Have you been putting the draughts from my poisons cabinet in your drinking water?”

            Sirius blinked. “You have a poisons cabinet?”

            “I _am_ a Slytherin, Sirius.”

            “Ahem,” Dumbledore cleared his throat, commanding their attention. “I do not wish to be the bearer of ill tidings, but I have received an intelligence report from one of my field agents. Voldemort will attack Hogwarts shortly before graduation. Now, naturally, I am hoping for the best, but I cannot guarantee it. There remains the possibility that if you do not have this wedding within the next month, you may never.”

            Sirius clutched Severus’s hand tightly. To his fiancé, he said, “It’s not like we have any doubt about this, Severus. We know we’re really in love. We have the shards of a broken Aphrodilus to prove it.”

            Severus bowed his head. “When you couch the matter that way, Albus, I have to agree with your advice. We… we want a small wedding anyway. And we want you to be the master of ceremonies…”

            “I’d be honored,” the headmaster accepted.

            “…so, there really isn’t much to plan. But if any of you think I’m going to wear bridal white just because I’m the one who’s pregnant…”

            He trailed off. He lacked the heart to be sarcastic.

            Dumbledore folded his hands. “I have another quite serious question to ask you and I want you to understand, you have every right to refuse. What I propose could be dangerous.”

            “What is it?” Sirius asked.

            “I wish to cast a barrier spell to protect the castle from Voldemort. In my research, I came across a very ancient piece of magic. It is the most effective, most powerful shield spell of which I know. However, because of its nature, it requires that the caster be pregnant.”

            Severus’s mouth worked for a few moments before he stated, “You want me to perform the spell.”

            “I want you to _consider_ casting the spell.”

            He narrowed his eyes. “Why do you think it will be dangerous?”

            Dumbledore answered, “Because the spell, once cast, will induce labor.”

            Severus rested his hand on his swollen belly. He suddenly looked sick. “I’ve been trying not to think about that part of all this.”

            Sirius frowned. “Albus, I don’t know about this…”

            “I’m carrying a girl,” Severus interjected. “They develop faster than boys in the womb. If I entered labor now, I could still give birth safely.”

            “You will have time for the last month,” Dumbledore said. “Pomfrey can administer a potion that will ensure you do not go into labor until induced. If you do cast the spell, there will be nothing unusual about the birthing process other than that you already knew when it would begin.”

            The room was quiet for several moments.

            “I think I should do it, Sirius,” Severus said. “I’m going to give birth around that time anyway. I don’t see why not.”

            “Are you _sure_ there are no other side effects?” Sirius asked Dumbledore.

            “Yes. There are records of this spell being cast before. I can give you all the documentation to review yourself. In fact, I suggest you look at it no matter what you decide.”

            Sirius shook his head. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Albus. You know I do. But…”

            “But this is your child,” the headmaster finished. “And no risk can possibly be small enough for you to rest assured.”


	17. Change of Heart

            Once Severus learned the ingredients of the potion and realized that none of them would produce anything toxic to his child, he insisted on brewing it himself. Pomfrey allowed him to do so without protest. It felt good to work with a cauldron again. Sprinkling bit of ground unicorn horn into the brew, he speculated that between his mastery of potions and Sirius’s affinity for transfiguration, their daughter was bound to inherit a talent for something. The genes between them were simply too strong for it to be otherwise.

            Sirius was watching Harry’s Quidditch practice the day after Severus drank the potion. Alone in his bedchamber, he opened one of the packages he had purchased at Diagon Alley. Inside was a tiny black dress with purple bows and embroidered flowers. Severus held it up to the mirror and compared it to his stomach. He felt huge- could he possibly contain something so small that it would fit into that little dress?

            He heard a knock at the door.

            “ _Alohomora!_ ” he cast lazily.

            He gave a start when he saw Chimera standing in the doorframe.

            “Mother?” he asked. “What do you want?”

            “May I come in?” she asked plainly.

            Severus gestured wordlessly to a chair. Chimera walked towards it, but did not sit.

            “I heard you were getting married,” she said.

            “I am,” he acknowledged apathetically, placing the dress back in its tissue paper.

            “They allow those sort of weddings?” Surprisingly, her voice was not snide, only inquisitive.

            “They do.”

            “Severus.”

            He looked into Chimera’s face. She appeared uncertain, almost timid.

            “Severus, I haven’t been nearly as compassionate to you as I should have.” Her voice was strained, yet firm. “I’m sorry.”

            He folded his arms. “Alright,” he said.

            Chimera blinked. “Alright? That’s it? Alright?”

            “What do you want me to say?” he asked harshly. “So, you’re sorry. Wonderful. How does that fix anything?”

            “I’d didn’t expect it to,” she answered frankly.

            “Then what _did_ you expect of it?”

            “For it to be a start.”

            Severus did not know what to say.

            She began, “Severus, I have nothing-”

            “You have the manor and Father’s money,” he scoffed. “That’s not nothing.”

            “I have no one,” she amended. “There’s been no one since your father and I couldn’t… relate to you. Well, I’m old and I’m lonely and I don’t care if I sound pathetic anymore. I want a part in my grandchild’s life.”

            Severus did not reply.

            “You were holding a dress,” she said. “Is it a girl?”

            He turned his back on her and bowed his head so that he could not see her reflection in the mirror.

            “Severus-”

            “ _Forgive_ me if I am having trouble believing you,” he said bitterly. “From the moment you arrived at Hogwarts, you starting saying every spiteful thing you possibly could and you want me to think you’ve honestly had a change of heart?”

            “My heart has _not_ changed,” Chimera argued fiercely. “I’ve simply reached a realization. I came to Hogwarts because I thought that since you were having a child, you had become a different person. When I saw you- pregnant- I assumed the worst, that you still the same. I was _bitterly_ disappointed. I was furious. It wasn’t justified. I realize that now and that is why I am here.”

            “Well, so _what?_ ” he spat. “All I-”

            “Stop _it_ ,” she suddenly snapped. “Neither of us can fix the past. The only thing we can do is regret it. I don’t want us to talk ourselves into the same damn circles. Are you going to turn me away or are you going to give me a second chance?”

            Severus had on the tip of his tongue the few words necessary to blast Chimera’s hopes into pieces and put a permanent seal on the memory of his childhood. But her last two words made him hesitate. She was asking for no more- and in truth, far less- than he had of Albus Dumbledore many, many years ago.

            He turned around.

            “I am not going to pretend that things are fine between us,” he said. “They are very much _not_ fine and I don’t know if they ever will be. But I think my baby has a right to know her grandmother.”


	18. Fate Can Be Kind

            Severus was nine months pregnant and his ankles felt every pound of the baby and her support system as he waddled down the red carpet running across the Quidditch field, hand in hand with Sirius. Their robes- Sirius’s blue and Severus’s purple - were identical in style, featuring flared sleeves and a cape attached at the shoulder by epaulets, but Severus’s lacked a waistband and had been greatly adjusted to accommodate his girth. Remus and Harry, their respective best men, wore black. Their “small wedding” had become Dumbledore’s excuse to host a celebration for the entire school. The faculty and all of the students stood witness to the ceremony that proclaimed them Mr. and Mr. Black-Snape.

            After the exchange of vows, the school shuffled into the Great Hall, where a banquet and a small orchestra of dwarves waited for the festivities to commence. Dumbledore, the grooms, and the rest of the wedding party sat at the head table; the other faculty scattered themselves among the houses. Grape juice- for the sake of the students and for Severus- was served instead of wine.

            Dumbledore raised his goblet and announced, “Before we begin, I believe there are some of us who would like to toast the happy couple. Remus?”

            Remus stood up amid the polite clapping and began jovially, “Well, I must say, this is the first- and very likely last- wedding I’ve been to where there was no bride and the groom was pregnant.”

            Nervous laughter rippled through the hall. Severus snarled.

            “Severus,” he continued, “Sirius told me that as his best man, I’m obligated to make a joke. Therefore, I think you should know that he wrote my entire speech.”

            “Oh, thanks a lot, Moony!” Sirius exclaimed.

            Even Severus had to laugh at that.

            “This wedding is one of the most bizarre events I have ever attended,” he said, “and also one of the most beautiful. I am honored to be a part of it.”

            Severus and Sirius nodded in grateful acknowledgement of his words and the guests applauded. As Remus sat down, Harry stood up. The boy was shaking.

            “I… uh…” Harry took a breath and swallowed. “Uh… Yes, I’m a Gryffindor,” he said.

            The Slytherins shouted, “You bet you are!” but their quip was clearly playful.

            Harry began again, still nervous but a bit more confidant, “Most people know that Professor Snape and I didn’t really like each other at first. We… we sort of got off on the wrong foot. But, I’ll never _ever_ forget that monkshood is the same as aconite or wolfsbane and that bezoar is in the stomach of a goat.”

            Severus snorted into his hand. “Oh, God,” he muttered to Sirius. “If I was him, I would have done my best to forget that incident.”

            “Sirius,” Harry said. His voice suddenly cracked. “Sirius, you’ve been a father to me. I think my dad knew that you would when he picked you to be my godfather. You’re my family.”

            Sirius blinked and rubbed his eye. He had become as taunt as Harry with emotion.

            “Severus, you’ve made Sirius very happy,” Harry continued. “And you’ve done more for me than I or anyone else here will probably ever really know. You’re my family now, too. And I love you.”

            Harry sat down very quickly and stared at his plate, his face rapidly becoming red.

            It was several minutes before anyone spoke. Finally, Dumbledore stood up again and declared, “I have one last toast.”

            He recounted, “I remember when two rebellious, willful third-years were brought to my office for their masterful display of hexing during the Halloween feast. I believe the event occurred on top of the Slytherin table and involved several pumpkins exploding, as well as a food fight. So, you can imagine the state in which these two were presented to me.”

            The laughter of the crowd was not as hearty as it might have been had the story not followed Harry’s speech.

            “This is a union of equals. To place either of these gentlemen with another would be to create something hopelessly inadequate. It would be to mock true love. They compliment each other. They understand each other better than any other person possibly could. They are soul mates. They are proof that there is goodness in the world, that fate can be kind, and that light can be drawn from the darkest shadow.

            “Severus, Sirius. May you enjoy the happiness you so richly deserve.”


	19. Over the Threshold

            Sirius glanced at the doorway of their bedchamber, then back at Severus.

            “I want to carry you over the threshold.”

            Severs snorted. “I’m not a bride.”

            “I don’t care. I still want to carry you over the threshold.”

            “You’ll drop me.”

            “I’ve never dropped you before.”

            “I’ve never been this pregnant before.”

            Sirius took out his wand and aimed it at Severus.

            “No,” Severus warned. “Oh, no, you _don’t_ -”

            “ _Wingardium Leviosa!_ ”

            Severus made a sharp note of protest as he rose into the air. Sirius wrapped his arms around his levitating form and guided him into the room. He gently lowered Severus onto the bed.

            “ _Finite Incantatem!_ ”

            Severus’s body sank into the sheets. Sirius laid next to him. He reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair behind the pregnant man’s ear.

            “My husband,” he said with a gentle smile. “You really are mine now.”

            Severus sighed and smiled cynically. “Four years ago, if anyone had told me that any of this was going to happen, I would have hexed him to hell.”

            “I would have helped.”

            They lay together in silent contemplation of each other. Sirius searched the depths of Severus’s eyes. There was no anger or bitterness lingering in them anymore, only contentment.

            “I don’t suppose we’re going to consummate the marriage?” Sirius asked idly.

            “I can’t see my feet. I liked to see _you_ try to make love to me.”

            A devious idea came upon Sirius and he grinned.

            “Oh no,” Severus groaned. “What are you going to do?”

            Sirius shifted to the foot of the bed and his head disappeared behind the swell of Severus’s belly.

            “Sirius?” Severus asked, making no attempt to move. “What are you doing down there? What-”

            His breath hitched as he was overcome by a sudden wave of sensation.

            “Alright,” he breathed. “Alright, fine. Don’t… don’t stop. Just understand- I’m _not_ going to reciprocate!”


	20. Sudden Enigma

            Pomfrey’s approved due date arrived a few days after the wedding. Severus refused breakfast.

            “How do you feel?” Sirius asked, his own stomach tangled in nerves.

            “Terrified,” Severus confessed, placing his hand on his belly. “I’m going to start labor in less than two hours. How am I supposed to feel?”

            Sirius escorted him to the grounds near the Quidditch pitch. Dumbledore, Remus, Harry, Chimera, and several other teachers were waiting for them, including Pomfrey with a levitating stretcher. Severus passed his wand to Sirius; he would not need it for the incantation. With a nod from the headmaster, he turned to face the castle. Everyone stepped away from him, arranging themselves in a semicircle behind him.

            Severus raised his arms into the air. He turned his face towards the welkin and chanted, “By the ageless, timeless, deathless goddesses, I invoke the spirits of the earth! By Hera, by Demeter, I invoke the essence of Gaia! Grant your protection upon this place!”

            The patch of earth upon which Severus stood began to glow. Two tails of light streamed out of the ground. Together, they twined about Severus’s body, eerily illuminating his pregnant form, then separated to spiral around his arms. They shot into the sky, far over Hogwarts, then collided in a burst of brilliant magic that seemed to dull the sun. From the explosion, a sheet of blue and green sparks showered down around the school, creating a shimmering bubble of power.

            Severus lowered his arms and stumbled. Chimera rushed forward and caught him. He gasped and shrieked in alarm, “Sirius!”

            Dumbledore seized the Potions Master’s arm and motioned for Pomfrey. “Hurry! It’s time!”

 

* * *

 

            Two hours later, Sirius’s anxiety had peaked to an all-time high and the screaming wasn’t helping.

            “I HATE YOU!” Severus roared, agonized tears streaming down his face. “If I live through this, I’m going to KILL YOU!”

            With his right hand, Sirius gently pressed a cool, damp washcloth against Severus’s forehead. His left was caught in the Potions Master’s vise-like grip. At any moment, Sirius expected to hear his own bones crack, but he honestly did not care if Severus broke his hand. Let him if that made him feel better; Pomfrey could mend it with a quick spell later.

            “This is worse than the bloody _Cruciatus_!” he screamed. “This is worse than anything VOLDEMORT EVER DID TO ME!”

            This time, even Dumbledore flinched at the mention of the Dark Lord’s name. Chimera, who was in the room along with Remus- Harry having long been screamed out of sight- seemed particularly distressed by the utterance.

            “You’re doing fine, Severus,” she tried to assure him.

            “FINE!” he exclaimed. “How can you possibly UNDERSTAND-”

            “Of course, I understand!” she snapped. “How do you think _you_ got into this world!”

            “Chimera, perhaps now is not the time,” Dumbledore suggested gently.

            Severus looked ready attempt a wandless curse.

            “I HATE YOU, TOO!” he screamed at the headmaster. “YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY!”

            “I do not think this is funny,” Dumbledore assured him soothingly.

            “THEN STOP TWINKLING AT ME!”

 

* * *

 

            Eleven hours later, Severus screamed, “ _ACCIO WAND!_ ”

            The resulting chaos prompted Pomfrey to screech, “There will be no more Priori Incantatems in the delivery room!”

 

* * *

 

            Five hours later, it was over, and Severus collapsed into exhausted oblivion.

 

* * *

 

            “Hey. Hey, wake up,” a voice prompted gently.

            Wearily, Severus opened his eyes and moaned feebly, “Go away. I hate you.”

            Sirius, not dissuaded in the least, smiled softly and whispered, “Someone wants to say hello.”

            Severus was confronted by a tiny pink face with a little mouth, a small and somewhat crooked nose, and two deep, wide black eyes that stared at him with utter fascination.

            Faced by this sudden enigma, he did not know how to react. He selected the least logical and most uncharacteristic course of action.

            He began sobbing hysterically.

            “Goddamn hormones!” he cursed.

            He had never felt so happy in his entire life.


	21. This Moment Alone

            Sirius and Severus named their daughter Aurora and appointed Remus as her godfather. The baby seemed to adore both her parents and was quite smitten with Harry from the start, but the werewolf made her anxious.

            “I think it’s the moon,” Remus said. “She senses I’m going to change soon.”

            After a few days of diapers and odd feeding times, Sirius felt nearly as exhausted as Severus, but they were both very happy.

They knew it would not last. Lurking like a dementor in wait for a Patronus to fail was the impending threat of Voldemort’s attack.

 

* * *

 

            Sirius woke shortly after dawn. He rose and watched the morning mist settle over Hogwarts outside his window. Beyond the fog, he could make out the glimmer of the bubble Severus had conjured around the castle.

            Aurora awoke a few minutes later and began to wail. Sirius lifted her from her cradle and correctly conjectured that she wanted her bottle. She was successfully fed, burped, and changed by the time Severus awoke.

            Severus stretched with a yawn, then reached out to Sirius. The Animagus placed Aurora in her mother’s arms. The baby smiled and blew a spit bubble.

            “She’s quiet this morning,” Severus remarked.

            “She likes us,” Sirius said.

            “I should hope so, seeing as she’s stuck with us,” he quipped dryly, but as he looked at Aurora, a sudden change came over him and he started to coo, “Hello, Baby. Mummy loves you…”

            Sirius blinked. He was certain that if he told Remus about this, the werewolf would _not_ believe him.

            Aurora made a few, unintelligible gurgles. Severus settled himself among the pillows and placed her in his lap.

            “It’s today,” he acknowledged with finality, looking wearily at Sirius.

            Sirius nodded. “Yes.”

            “I want to fight alongside you.”

            “Are you crazy?” Sirius demanded. “You gave birth _last week_. You’re in no condition to fight.”

            He began to protest, “Sirius-”

            “And don’t forget,” Sirius interrupted, “that you’re the anchor for the barrier spell. If you die, the bubble dissolves and we’re all dead.” He bowed his head. “And I won’t leave Aurora an orphan. I’ll lock you in the dungeons if I have to. I made Harry an orphan, I won’t-”

            He stopped and shuddered.

            “That wasn’t your fault,” Severus said.

            “I hope I see Peter today,” he responded. “I want to be the one who kills him.”

            Severus rubbed his left arm.

            “What’s wrong?” Sirius immediately asked.

            “It’s itching,” he replied. “I haven’t felt anything from the Mark since Dumbledore cast that spell that numbed it last year. Voldemort’s getting closer.”

            “How close?”

            “Not too close. It would be burning otherwise. But that shouldn’t happen. With the bubble, he won’t be able to get anywhere near the castle.”

            Sirius went to Severus and embraced both him and Aurora in his arms.

            “This moment alone makes up for all twelve years of Azkaban,” he said. “I want you to know that just in case…”

            “Just in case this is it,” Severus finished dully. “In case we never see each other again.”

            Sirius closed his eyes and held his husband and child a little tighter.


	22. For Nothing

            A few hours later, the halls of Hogwarts were empty. The first through fourth years had been regulated to their respective common rooms with scattered faculty left to supervise. The rest of the students and the teachers, along with Aurors and members from the Order of the Phoenix, left the school to face the Death Eaters on the battlefield.

            Severus saw nothing of the struggle from his window in the South Tower. His own barrier spell obscured his view. He was just as nauseated with worry as he had been during Sirius’s trial, but this time Aurora wasn’t fidgeting inside him- she was in his arms wailing for Daddy. Severus barely managed to pacify her. He was the source of her agitation- she was afraid only because she sensed her mother was.

Severus scratched his arm. The itching was becoming worse, which meant that Voldemort was nearing the barrier. The bedchamber had grown too small to contain his anxiety. Allayed by the knowledge that the Dark Lord could not possibly pass through the bubble, he wrapped Aurora in her blanket and left the South Tower to wander the corridors.

 

* * *

 

            Sirius was an island in a sea of chaos. The clamor of the battle- the fierce chanting of spells, the cries of pain, roars of fury- were nothing to him. His world was silent in a moment of perverse tranquility, as Peter Pettigrew’s newly killed carcass fell at his feet.

            His serenity was shattered as a sudden spell slammed him against a tree. His wand flew from his hand and cords appeared from the air, binding his body. Lucius Malfoy emerged from the bushes, his wand aimed at Sirius’s heart.

            With a smug and satisfied smirk, Lucius practically purred, “I knew Wormtail would be the perfect bait for you. I’ve had you marked since we met in the Forest two years ago and now you’re mine.”

            “So kill me then,” Sirius spat at his feet. “You can’t do anything to me, Lucius. You don’t have the power to hurt me.”

            “Why?” the Death Eater retorted rhetorically. “It is because Severus and Sirius Jr. are safely holed up inside Hogwarts?”

            Sirius smirked.

            “You know, that lovely bubble only protects above the ground. It doesn’t include certain _tunnels_ that a Marauder,” Lucius said, nodding towards Pettigrew, “would know about.”

            Sirius’s heart turned cold.

            “I want you to know that,” Lucius continued. “I want you die knowing that you did so for nothing, that your lover and your brat will be joining you shortly in the afterlife!”

            He raised his wand and opened his mouth, but it was another voice that cried out in rage, “ _Avada Kedavra!_ ”

            A jet of sick green light shot from the last wand anyone would have suspected.

            It came from Harry Potter’s.

            “ _Finite Incantatem!_ ” Harry cast upon Sirius. His voice quivered; he was shaking where he stood and his face had paled.

            “I had to do it,” he started to babble. “I had to know if I could cast that spell…”

            Sirius could not fathom his alarm. He retrieved his wand, then reached out to touch Harry’s shoulder. “Harry… Harry, no, you don’t have to use that spell… There are other ways…”

            Harry stepped backwards and shook his head. “Severus… He’s going to go after Severus- I know he would want to do it himself!”

            He turned on his heel and began sprinting towards the castle. Sirius ran after him shouting, “Harry! Harry, what are you doing!”

            Macnair and Avery stepped into his path. The battle closed in around him. He fought fiercely to get through, to get away…

            Everything he loved most was converging at the one place in the world that was supposed to be safe- the one place that had suddenly become the most dangerous.

 

* * *

 

            Severus jiggled Aurora and whispered soothingly in her ear. Her black eyes were watering. She was very close to crying and he did not know if he could endure another outburst from her; the sound was heart wrenching.

            Stepping from the stairwell onto the third floor, he felt a funny sensation. The itching was suddenly intense.

            _Can’t be_ , he thought. _It can’t mean anything._

            He entered the corridor containing the statue of the humpbacked witch, remembering when he had found Harry there, how many times he had seen Sirius and James Potter lurking there…

            Pain erupted under his skin. Severus gasped.

            _No!_ he thought frantically. _No, it can’t-_

            He did not need to roll up his sleeve to know that the Dark Mark was burning.

            Severus lifted his baby close to his mouth and whispered, “Aurora, Mummy needs you to be quiet. Please be quiet for Mummy.”

            In his right arm, he cradled Aurora. He would not risk holding her in his left. Retreating to a bend in the hall, he withdrew his wand and aimed it at the statue. A few minutes later, the statue opened and an abnormally tall, spectrally thin figure in a gray cloak emerged.

            Slowly, Severus inched into the hall. Even with the Dark Lord’s face turned away, he could feel the burning heat of his red eyes upon him. He raised his wand and cried, “ _Ava-_ ”

            Voldemort turned. Aurora took one look at him and screamed. The baby’s cry jarred Severus, as did the Dark Lord’s sudden shout of, “ _Morsmordi!_ ” He dropped his wand.

            Voldemort stepped forward and triumphantly hissed, “Severusss…”


	23. Another Harry Potter

            Severus knew that if he paused to retrieve his wand, he and his child would be dead. He did the only thing he could: clutched Aurora to his chest and ran like a dog out of Azkaban.

            Evading Voldemort would be a futile effort. He lacked the energy and Aurora’s wails were too loud. Somehow, he had to find a way to double back or loop around to the same corridor, to snatch his wand…

            His heart was in his throat, his body was fueled by fear, and the only thing that mattered was the bundle in his arms. His baby was everything…

            He fled down two flights of stairs, Voldemort cackling close behind him.

            “I have you, Snape!” he shouted with malicious glee. “Eighteen years, I’ve waited for this! I have you now!”

            _Aurora._ Severus’s mind could produce no other word. _Aurora…_

            He ran past the suits of armor, past the tapestries, past the paintings of fleeing portraits. He ran into the Great Hall, ran towards the head table…

            The head table erupted into flames. Severus turned and found the other four tables burning in an otherworldly green blaze. They burned to the floor… the fires merged… and Severus was trapped between columns of flame.

            Slowly, laughing mercilessly with each step, Voldemort approached.

            “No,” Severus quivered. “No…”

            “I’m glad you had a child,” Voldemort said. “It will make my revenge more satisfying. Let her die first!”

            “No!” Severus screamed fiercely. He fell onto his knees and crouched over Aurora. “No! She’s just a baby! She’s done nothing to you-”

            “Do you think I care?” the Dark Lord asked contemptuously.

            “Not Aurora! You _can’t_!”

            No, Voldemort could not, for there was one spell that even he- for all his power- could not break.

            Severus set Aurora on the floor. She screamed with heightened panic. She did not know that her life was at stake; she only wanted her mother’s arms. Severus’s heart twisted painfully as he forced himself to ignore her cries and turn his back upon her. He stood over her so that there was no possible way Voldemort could harm her without striking himself first.

            “Fine,” Severus stated, his voice hollow yet resolute. “Fine. Take me. Kill me if you want. But everyone knows that you aren’t very good at killing babies!”

            Voldemort snarled. “You fool! Do you think I am stupid enough to bring another Harry Potter into the world? I don’t need to kill her personally- only order it to be done!”

            He aimed his wand.

            “ _Avada Kedavra!_ ”


	24. Foolish Boy

            At the sound of the Killing Curse coming from the mouth of Harry Potter, Voldemort whirled around and screamed at the same time, “ _Expelliarmus!_ ”

            The result was the inevitable. Gold light shot from both wands and connected. Beams splintered from the thread at crazy angles creating a cage around them. Harry’s ears filled with phoenix song as large globes of light appeared. Priori Incantatem was achieved.

            His wand throbbed in his hand, but his grip was steady and his heart was set.

            “Severus and Aurora are my family!” he shouted. “You will not take them from me! You will not!”

            “You’re a foolish boy!” Voldemort retorted. “There is no good or evil! There is power and I am the most powerful being on Earth! Hate is greater than love, you fool! Hate consumes and love burns to nothing!”

            Harry narrowed his eyes, squinting at the beads. He would force them back… he had to force them back…

 _For my father_ , he thought. _For my mother. For Sirius, for Remus, for Severus, for Aurora…_

_For everyone._

            “I don’t need a wand for magic!” Voldemort declared. “ _Morsmordi!_ ”

            The Mark on Harry’s arm, a twin to Severus’s, ignited in pain. Harry’s concentration did not flicker. He was stronger than that; he would not be defeated by a cheap trick.

            “ _Morsmordi!_ ”

            Let Voldemort scream his foul spell all he wished; it took his focus away from the Priori Incantatem, allowing Harry to easily push the beads away.

            Voldemort raised his voice and this time chanted, “ _Dementis!_ ”

            Without warning, Harry was plunged into the cold, into the icy grip of his heart’s trauma…

_“Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!”_

            Swirling mist filled his mind. He saw nothing, not the even the light of the golden threads. Fawkes’s song died in his ears.

_“Not Harry, please, no, take me, kill me instead-”_

            The spell was broken by Harry’s wand shattering in his hand.


	25. Sacrifice

            Voldemort’s laughter rang as loud as a gong through the Great Hall. The skin of Harry’s right hand was almost completely burned, shards of holly embedded in his flesh. Fawlkes’ feather, once encased in his wand’s core, had disintegrated.

            “Run, Harry!” Severus cried. “Get out of here! If I die, he won’t be able to touch Aurora! Go!”

            “No,” he moaned, shaking his head. “No, I can’t-”

            “Don’t be a hero! This is my choice!”

            “But I love you!” he cried.

            “Harry, I am not your mother!” Severus screamed. “I am not an innocent! Let me die for my sins! _It’s my choice!_ ”

            “No, stay, Harry,” Voldemort said cruelly. “Surely, you wish to see the sort of sacrifice that allowed you to be here!”

            The Dark Lord turned upon his former minion. “You’ll die for nothing, Snape. I’ve won!”

            Suddenly, all the terror inside Harry’s heart evaporated. What he could do- what he must do- became very clear. He felt a queer sensation inside his chest; he felt a strange power rise. A tidal wave of emotion rolled thundering through his veins.

            “You,” he began, “will-” his voice becoming louder- “not-” with each word- “harm-” until it was a roar- “MY FAMILY!”

            He did not matter. He, Harry Potter, was nothing. He was nothing to the love burning inside him, a love as fierce as his mother had held when she had exchanged her life for his. Her love had passed into him and its power rested in him. It was not magic, it was _beyond_ magic- it was the light of his soul.

            “NO!” Harry bellowed, spreading his arms. A great, fiery plumed phoenix rose from his chest like a Patronus, but it was not the guardian of his soul- it _was_ his soul. It left him in a blaze of love and soared towards Voldemort.

            The Dark Lord was too dumbstruck to even know to scream, but any curse he could have cast would have been futile anyway. He had driven all love from himself- he was nothing but hate, and hate could never win. Love had knit the world together; it was primal force from which everything was born. Its fire engulfed him and finding nothing of itself in him, extinguished the hollow shell that was left of his soul, destroyed him utterly-

            There was nothing- not even a scrap of cloth- left to serve as Voldemort’s remains.

            Harry collapsed into oblivion.


	26. The Power That Lingers

            “Harry!” Sirius cried, forcing the double doors of Hogwarts open. They swung inward at his touch; Dumbledore had charmed them to recognize them. “Severus! Harry, where are you!”

            The wails of a tiny baby echoed through the halls. Sirius’s heart pounded faster in his chest. Aurora. For the sake of speed, he morphed into Padfoot and ran in pursuit of the sound. At the threshold of the Great Hall, he changed again to human and was struck by what he saw, for he could make no sense of it.

            The long tables of the room were gone, black scorch marks in their place. Harry was decumbent on the floor. Severus stood over him. He was not looking at the boy. Instead, he clutched Aurora and rocked back in forth. The motion, which he had begun with the intent of calming his child, had become repetitive; he was in shock.

            “Severus!” Sirius called and rushed towards him.

            The sound of his name broke Severus’s trance. With a start, he looked up at Sirius. His entire body suddenly seemed to crumple; he fell onto his knees.

            “I’m sorry!” he cried. “I know you’ll never forgive me! He shouldn’t have done it! I’m sorry!”

            Sirius’s eyes flew to Harry, then back to Severus. He put his arm around him and asked, “For what, Severus? Severus, what happened.”

            Severus’s voice was firm but his body was shaking. “Voldemort,” he croaked. “He gave himself up to Voldemort. He shouldn’t have done it- he should have let me-”

            Sirius gently cupped his hand under Severus’s chin and raised his head. He looked into the Potion Master’s eyes and was shaken by the anguished guilt swirling in their depths.

            “Voldemort,” he said urgently. “Where is Voldemort?”

            “He’s dead,” Severus answered. “Voldemort’s dead. Harry destroyed him and it killed him!”

            “Severus, calm down-”

            “No!” he suddenly snapped. When he spoke again, his voice was disturbingly rational. “Don’t you _understand?_ Harry is _dead!_ And he didn’t have to die! Voldemort was going to kill me, but it wouldn’t have mattered! My death would have placed the same charm on Aurora that Lily’s put on Harry! He still would have been killed! _I_ should have died, not Harry! I should have-”

            “Severus,” a new voice said.

            Both Severus and Sirius gave a start as Dumbledore suddenly knelt beside them. Aurora looked into the headmaster’s blue eyes and, as if charmed, fell silent.

            “Albus-” Severus began.

            Dumbledore stopped him from speaking further. “I know what happened here, Severus,” he said. His voice was even and calm. “The power that lingers in this room is familiar to me. Now, listen. Harry made a choice and it was pure and selfless. He _wanted_ you to live and he would be deeply upset to hear you wish it otherwise.”

            “But Albus-”

            “Shh,” the headmaster shook his head. “It is essential that you understand that a love as pure as was shown here today is not something that can be conceived upon whim. It can only be bestowed upon one who is truly worthy. If Harry had sacrificed himself for you out of such love, his act would not need to be questioned.”

            “If Harry had…?” Severus repeated stupidly.

            Dumbledore smiled gently. “As I said, I recognize this power. Harry is not dead. True love does not destroy- not even hate, for hate consumes itself when confronted by it. The boy- man, I should say, for he has proven himself to be that- is still very much alive.”


	27. Obligation

            For three days, the wizarding world was at a halt. For three days, Sirius, Remus, and Severus took shifts watching Aurora and keeping a bedside vigil. Then Harry Potter emerged from his coma.

            The celebrations that followed were riotous, infectious with joy. Voldemort- body and soul- was destroyed, the Death Eaters were crushed, and years of terror were ended. The survivors- and there were many- celebrated for the lives of the dead, for the happiness of the future.

            But Harry was changed. His eyes were deeper and held a strange twinkle. Whenever he looked at someone, he left him or her with the distinct impression that his gaze penetrated far beyond appearance, into the fiber of one’s being.

            And it was true. Harry had seen the substance of his own soul and it had left a mark. He could see into the hearts of others: if they loved, if they hated, if they had known joy or sorrow, what they thought of themselves, and what their nature truly was.

            One day he looked at Ginny Weasley and realized she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. It was if a fog had suddenly dispersed from his mind. He knew exactly what he wanted- but he wasn’t entirely certain what he could have.

            He went to Dumbledore and told him everything.

            “No one else knows that I can see these things, sir,” Harry explained. “I’m not sure what sort of obligation I have. There must be something…”

            Dumbledore smiled gently. His blue eyes held a sympathetic sparkle.

            “You have the same obligation as every one else, Harry,” he said. “To use your powers for good, not evil.”

            Harry nodded. “I know that, sir. But I need to know something more specific. There… there must be other wizards in history like me. What did they-”

            Harry’s voice trailed off. His jaw slowly dropped in realization.

            “You,” he said suddenly. “You see the same things I do! It’s how you defeated Grindelwald!”

            A broad smile spread across Dumbledore’s face. “You wish me to tell you what you should do, Harry?”

            Harry nodded adamantly.

            The headmaster said, “Do whatever will make you happy.”


	28. A Certain Potion

            Five months after the birth of Aurora Black-Snape and the destruction of Voldemort, Pomfrey decided that Severus’s body had sufficiently recuperated for his retransfiguration to male. Leaving Sirius with the baby- who had recently decided that it was fun to put shiny objects in her mouth- he apparated to Hogsmeade to meet the nurse at Hogwarts. Less than two hours later, he returned with taunt lips and smoldering eyes.

            Noting that Severus still had a woman’s hips, Sirius cautiously inquired, “What happened? Why couldn’t Pomfrey change you back?”

            “ _Think_ , Sirius.” Severus spat the words. “Think very hard about a certain _potion_ you may have forgotten to drink.”

            Sirius bit his lip as he noticed that Severus’s wand hand was twitching. “But the only potion I’ve been taking is the con-”

            His voice stopped dead in realization. He looked at Severus’s face and his mind screamed, _Run!_

 

* * *

 

            “Whoa! Whoa, hang on, back up!” Ron exclaimed, shoving aside his bottle of butterbeer. He leaned across the table at The Three Broomsticks to look Harry and his unnerving twinkle directly in the eye. “ _How_ did Sirius break his leg?”

            “He jumped out the window of the house he just bought,” Harry said. “Third story, too.”

            “And _why_ did he jump out the window?”

            “Well… Severus _was_ chasing him with a butcher knife,” Harry replied, then added hastily, “but I’m sure Severus didn’t mean anything by it!”

            “A _butcher_ knife,” Ron repeated flatly.

            “Yeah. Severus tried to hex Sirius, but since they’ve got brother wands, it caused a Priori Incantatem, so that didn’t work, so I think he just grabbed the nearest sharp object available,” he explained. “He wasn’t in his right mind, Ron-”

            Ron snorted. “ _Really_?”

            “He _did_ have a right to be angry. I mean, Sirius forgot to take his contraceptive potion, and Severus couldn’t have drunk it himself because the hormones would have complicated his transfiguration.”

            “So, Snape’s mad because he’s pregnant again.”

            “Oh, it gets better,” Harry said.

            Ron groaned. “Do I really want to know? What is it?”

            Suppressing a grin, Harry informed him, “Severus is carrying twins.”


End file.
